Canadian TBM manufacturer Lovat reports that its two TBMs on the Tizi Ouzou – Alger water transfer tunnel project in northern Algeria are making good progress.
SNC-Lavalin as general contractor employed Co-operativa Muratori & Cementisti (CMC) di Ravenna as specialist tunnelling subcontractor. The multiple tunnel scheme features 11km of tunnel works in total.
The first Lovat machine onsite was a 3.7m diameter hard rock machine. It was launched by CMC on 19 February for the 2.8km Tizi Ouzou tunnel. The TBM completed this drive in under 24 weeks, breaking through to its reception pit on 6 August. The TBM is due to be re-launched by CMC for the 2.6km long Naciria tunnel on the scheme.
The second 3.7m diameter TBM was launched on 18 March for the Draâ-Ben-Khedda tunnel. After completing the 1.2km tunnel on 17 May, it was dismantled and re-launched for the Thenia tunnel. In late August it had bored 1km out of 3.4km of tunnel. T&TI was told the TBM had a best daily performance of 24m advance.
